A conventional sock 100 shown in FIG. 12 is manufactured by cylindrically knitting a cylindrical knitted part 106a from an inlet part toward a heel section 102, and knitting the heel section 102. Further, a cylindrical knitted part 106b is cylindrically knitted from the heel section 102 toward a tip toe section 104, then an opening formed in an instep part of the cylindrical knitted part 106b is seamed to finish the sock. In FIG. 12, the seamed opening is shown as a seam line 108.
The sock 100 shown in FIG. 12 is manufactured by, for example, a circular knitting machine having a needle holder, in which a plurality of knitting needles are provided on an outer circumferential face of a needle holder which is capable of rotating in a prescribed direction and turning in a normal direction and a reverse direction so as to knit the sock. As shown in FIG. 13A, the knitting needle has a hook section 52, which is formed at a front end, and a tongue section 54, whose one end is pivotably attached to a neck part of the hook section 52 by a shaft 56 so as to open and close the hook. As shown in FIG. 13B, the needle holder has a cylindrical member 62 and a plurality of longitudinal grooves 64, 64, . . . formed in the outer circumferential face, the knitting needles 50 shown in FIG. 13A are respectively inserted in the grooves 64 and capable of moving upward and downward. By rotating the needle holder 60 in the prescribed direction, the knitting needles 50 are moved upward in order at a prescribed position so as to knit the sock.
The sock 100 shown in FIG. 12, which has been manufactured by the knitting machine including the needles shown in FIG. 13A and the needle holder shown in FIG. 13B, is symmetrically formed, so that the sock can be put on a right foot and a left foot.
However, the sock 100 shown in FIG. 12 has the symmetrical tip toe section 104; if it is put on an asymmetrical human foot, whose tip top is positioned nearer to a big toe side and which has a big toe thicker and longer than other toes, cloth of the sock is pulled by the big toe so that the big toe and a little toe of the person are pressed.
To solve the problem of pressing the toes caused by the sock 100 shown in FIG. 12, one of the inventors invented hosiery shown in FIGS. 14A-14C, which was disclosed as U.S. Pat. No. 6,000,247.
A tip toe section 204 of a sock 200 shown in FIGS. 14A-14C has an asymmetrical shape, in which a tip position G is shifted on a big toe side with respect to a center line X and in which a gusset part 220 for making bulge of the tip toe section 204 on the big toe side larger than that of the little toe side is knitted nearer to the big toe side of the tip toe section 204.
FIG. 14A shows the tip toe section 204 seen from an instep side of the sock 200, wherein a seam line 208 is formed on the instep section of the sock 200. FIG. 14B shows the tip toe section 204 seen from a front end side of the sock 200, and FIG. 14C shows the tip toe section 204 seen from a sole part side of the sock 200.
Note that, the gusset part 220 of the sock 200 shown in FIGS. 14A-14C is constituted by a gusset part 220a of the sole part and a gusset part 220b of the instep section.